Catamenial bandage.



No. 709,223. Patented Sept. 16,1902.

J; F. JAMES & R. M. KIPPEN. CATAMENIAL BANDAGE.

(Application filed Nov. 4, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

JOHN F. JAMES AND ROBERT M. KIPPEN, OF MELBOURNE, CANADA.

CATAM E'N IAEL BAN DAG E.

SPECIFIQATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,223, dated September 16, 1902.

' Application filed November 4, 1901. Serial No. 81,041. (No mods-1.1

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known. that we, JOHN F. JAMES and ROBERT M. KIPPEN, subjects of theQueen of Great Britain, and residents of Melbourne,

in the county of Middlessex, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have jointly invented a new and useful Oatamenial Bandage,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device which is applied to the external generative organs of woman, the object being to hold the menstrual secretions in the vagina, and thus prevent them from coming in contact with the outer air for a period of time suitable to the wearer, and by preventing said secretionsfrom coming in contact with the outer air they are non-irritating and thus harmless; and this invention consists of a device for holding the menstrual secretions in the vagina and also of the improved construction and novel combination of parts of said device, as will be hereinafter first fully set forth and described and then pointed out in the claims. Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Figure l. is a plan View of a device embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view of same on the line a, a of Fig.

1, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of same on the line b b of Fig. 1'. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate front and side views, respectively, of said device supported from a belt, which provides one convenient means of securing it in position on the body of the wearer.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 1 designates a base which may be formed of any suitable size or shape and of any suitable material, and while various shapes and kinds of material are more or less satisfactory we have found byexperiment that the most satisfactory results have been obtained from a base formed of soft rubber and of the shape be formed of any suitable size or shape, as found most suitable or convenient. The rib 2 surrounds an oval space, which, with the base 1, forms a concavity 4; and the rib 3 surrounds an oval space and is of larger diameter than the rib 2, and preferably follows for a short portion of its length the outline of the base 1, and with the base 1 forms another or annular concavity 5 between said ribs 2 and 3, and the inner concavity 4 has its long diameter parallel with the long diameter of the larger space or concavity 5.

The numerals 6 designate rings which are secured to the ends of the base 1, which rings 6 engage with books 7, secured to loops 8, and the latter are secured to a thin belt 9, adapted to extend around the body of the wearer, and said belt 9, as well as the loops 8, may be lengthened or shortened by means of the buckles 10 and 11, respectively, and these, together with the rings 6 andhooks 7, provide one convenient means for holding said base 1 and ribs 2 and 3 to the body of the wearer; but they may be secured in position in any manner or by any means found most suitable or convenient, and by means of the rings 6 and the hooks 7 said device may be readily and easily attached or detached.

The principle of the action of this device is simply pressing gently the external labia together, thus preventing the discharge escaping from the vagina. The inner concavity 4 of this device surrounds the labia and covers the entrance to the vagina, while the outer concavity 5 covers the remainder of the vulva, extending back on the perineum, and the vagina being a membranous canal, free from air and capable of dilatation, can hold the normal amount of the menstrual fluid without any inconvenience to a woman. However, if the amount of menstrual fluid should be excessive or if from any other cause any should escape it may be taken up by a little absorbent cotton placed in the concavity 4.

The practical advantages of this device are as follows: It is a simple, strong, durable, inexpensive, and eflicient device for the purpose for which it is intended, one that is perfectly sanitary, comfortable, pliable, and non-irritating, it may be readily adjusted and readjusted and attached or detached from the hooks 7 on the belt 9, and one that prevents the air from coming in contact with the secretions. Hence said secretions remain aseptic, and while aseptic there is no offensive odor therefrom, and by securely and safely holding the secretions in the vagina there is no danger of their getting on a womans skirts. It thus permits women during this period to wear delicate and filmsy skirts in safety. Walking and traveling have a tendency to increase said secretions, which increase of flow is difficult to be absorbed and held by the cloths ordinarily used to catch the same. This invention is useful to Women in walking and traveling because there is not the slightest danger that it 'will not retain these secretions in the vagina or become detached from the body of the wearer. It is always clean and ready for use, and by abolishing those detestable diapers it saves expense in maintaining their cleanliness, the saving in a few months laundry more than paying the price of it, only one being needed, it will last for years, it is cool in summer and 'protects women from cold in the cool weather, and the essential characteristic of the device which attains said construction we do not wish to limit ourselves to the details thereof, as they may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. A device for holding the menstrual or other fluid inthe vagina, consisting of a base provided with two ribs consisting of pneumatic tubes, one rib shaped to press the external labia together and the other covering the remainder of the vulva and extending back on the perineum, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A'device for holding the menstrual or other fluid in the vagina, consisting of a base provided with two concentric oval ribs forming an inner concavity and an annular surrounding concavity for the purposes described; in combination with means for securing the same in position on the body of the wearer, substantially as and for the purposes'set forth.

In testimony whereof We have signed in the presence of the two undersigned wit- JOHN F. JAMES. ROBERT M. KIPPEN. Witnesses: v

P. J. EDMUNDS,

M. BRAUND. 

